Newsletter from 30/12/2015
The Live-Content Biz Is Booming, but Challenges Remain
The promise of television in 1950 was the same as it is today: The unique ability to be live and to present an uncertain outcome — whether a game or a life-and-death situation or an unbelievable musical performance. Just because the delivery methods and the ways we consume it are different, it’s still TV. It will continue to evolve, and it’s a business we all want to be in. And one of the cornerstones for Live TV is the OBVan! Out of the more than 1.000 OBVans all over the world our portal meanwhile presents 426 trucks with the main technical specifications and the point of contact. It is one of the most used data source from sport and event organizers to find the right sized truck for the events they have on their schedule. The challenge is to keep the generation of the multitaskers with the program: Even when the content is viewd live, the average viewer is likely multitasking on a laptop or a mobile device. While sports and news offer live content on a daily — almost hourly — basis, one-off high-profile live events create a different kind of viewing: Regardless of whether it’s on a big screen in the living room, on a laptop in a college dorm room, or a mobile device on the road, tv viewers have not lost their taste for live programming — be it sports, news, concerts, musicals, or any other form of appointment viewing.
MOBILE PRODUCTION
Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation 4K OBVan
2015 sees the start of a new era in China. China-based Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation is the first company in China that has a 4K OB Van available. The JSBC 4K is a 24 camera, double-side expansion, OB Van that works in full 4K and offers up to 29 workplaces. Entirely the OB works with 16 HD cameras, 4 4K cameras plus 4 wireless cameras. Coach builder ASGB and Sony China Professional Systems Group together with NDT Group, worked jointly together to develop a modern OB Van with state of the art 4K technology. This new OB Van enables JSBC for all future productions during and after the transition process to 4K. JSBC incorporates 14 television channels, including 2 satellite television channels (Jiangsu Satellite Channel and International Channel), 7 terrestrial television channels (City Channel, Variety Show Channel, Film and TV Channel, Public Channel, Channel Win, Children's Channel and Business Channel), 4 digital pay TV channels (Fashion Channel, Kid's Education Channel, English Education Channel and Fortune Channel) as well as a mobile TV channel (Jiangsu Mobile TV).
Oman TV HD2 Muscat
Oman TV is the national television channel broadcaster in the Sultanate of Oman. The channel began broadcasting from the city of Muscat on 17 November 1974, and from Salalah on 25 November 1975. Since 1997, Oman TV is broadcasting its programs also via its website. The channel features news broadcasts, government announcements, children's shows, and nature programs. Sports news, and Oman football league matches, as well as cultural programs can be viewed on Oman TV's sister channel, Oman TV2. In 2014 BFE has been awarded to build two OB vans for OMAN TV by their partner United Broadcast & Media Solutions who were the prime contractors of the project. The OB vans are used for live coverage of sports events, drama programs productions and coverage of local and international events.
_wige Broadcast HD_one and HD_two
_wige BROADCAST GmbH creates TV productions for national and international broadcasters, organisations, and event organisers with a fleet of in-house OB vans. _wige provides special, individual solutions and product innovations – including the lightweight helicopter _eaglecopter, which _wige uses to offer clients new and unique aerial motion picture footage at minimal cost. With more than 30 wireless HD camera routes _wige BROADCAST is one of the largest wireless technology providers on the German market. _wige's goal: to successfully realise your individual specifications and bring your event to the screen, and to give viewers at home a taste of the live experience.
The Alliance: ONE-TV, Global Production, SBP
There is a new international name in OB services in the form of The Alliance, a group established by three acclaimed Italian companies: One-tv, Global Production and SBP. They are the leading players in the Italian market, and collectively, constitute one of the largest OB forces in Europe. One of the major strengths of The Alliance is its extensive technical assets, which include nine HD OB Vans: two from SBP, four from Global Production, and three from One-tv. Collectively, The Alliance currently owns more than 120 HD cameras, over 60 tele lenses and 20-plus EVS systems, among many other items of equipment. The primary goal of The Alliance is to concentrate the business on broadcast customers active in areas ranging from news to entertainment, but with a particular focus on sports.
Get the Technical Specs of Global Broadcast Esterna 5 here
Get the Technical Specs of ONE-TV OB10 here
Get the Technical Specs of SBP OB6 here
STUDIO / IP PRODUCTION
IP Workflows for Video – The New Productivity Shift
There are several underlying reasons why IP-based workflows will forever replace SDI for video workflow. IP makes a production part of a network infrastructure, which is connected to every computer and cell phone in the world, and more–think light bulbs and toasters! This is unprecedented in human history. Additionally, SDI runs parallel to the infrastructure but cannot talk directly to other devices connected on a network. IP can. Professional broadcasters are being squeezed to produce exponentially more video while maintaining high quality on ever-shrinking budgets. Nowhere is this more apparent than in live sports production, where demand for content is so prevalent that companies that once produced 10 shows a year are now being asked to produce 100 or more.
How IP can support live contribution
The big challenge of using IP to carry high quality live video content – like contribution signals – is that we have to overcome the inherent limitations of IP. When it was conceived, IP was designed merely to try as best possible to deliver every data packet, meaning some might not get there, and those that do might suffer some fluctuations in latency along the way – it is up to the higher level protocols and applications to overcome the fluctuations or re-request the missing packets from the sender. If you are sending an email with attachments, it really does not matter if some part of the whole message takes even seconds longer than the rest, provided it all gets there eventually. In live broadcast that requirement is turned upside down. We need a new picture every 40 milliseconds, and it is not acceptable to drop even a single frame of an important video stream. So a successful IP network connection depends upon high performance video and audio media gateways, working alongside powerful network management to manage the connections.
First IP-Based Live TV Broadcasts Successfully Produced using Cloud Production
DutchView Infostrada, part of the NEP worldwide network, recently launched Cloud Production, its revolutionary comprehensive IP-based video production platform. On Sunday 22 November the TV show Carlo's TV Café was broadcast on RTL4, the leading Dutch commercial TV channel, using remote-controlled Cloud Production. This was the first live broadcast to be televised using cloud-based technology. On 23 November, Voetbal Inside was broadcast on RTL7, becoming the second live broadcast to air using cloud-based technology.
DutchView | Infostrada chooses SAM for enterprise-scale hybrid IP/SDI production via the Cloud
World Premiere: DutchView Infostrada’s Cloud Production Platform went live with LAWO
DutchView Infostrada Goes Live with Grass Vally's IP Camera Solution
SPORT EVENTS
D+P Multimedia supplies IDX System to Power Live Video Transmissions for Cricket Ireland
Cricket Ireland is the governing body for cricket in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), overseeing the Ireland cricket team and Ireland women's cricket team. It also organises the premier club cricket competition in Ireland, the Irish Senior Cup and the Provincial Competition which it hopes will gain first class status. IDX CW-F25 two-way wireless HD-SDI transmitters form the communications core of a remotely controlled video capture system recently completed for Cricket Ireland. Each transmitter is configured to carry data from a compact control unit to a remote television camera with an integrated motorised pan/tilt/zoom head. Full 1080i high definition video is simultaneously carried back from the cameras to a Panasonic AW-HS50 production mixer.
NYRA TV Captures The Action With Hitachi HD Cameras
The NYRA Network, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)’s 24/7 cable television network, is capturing live coverage of major races from the sport’s largest regional venues with Hitachi SK-HD1000 HD cameras. The reliability and ease of use of the SK-HD1000 simplifies the live production process for the network, maximizing operational flexibility in the field for challenging racetrack shoots. In addition to providing live coverage of horse racing’s three major regional tracks—Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga Springs—The NYRA Network also offers simulcast signals from around the country on dozens of monitors set up for each specific race meet. Some meets, like Saratoga, last six weeks, so the NYRA TV truck pulls up and sets up the cameras around the racetrack. Six cameras are configured as full “hard” cameras on a platform, complete with long (70x) lenses to capture to maximize dramatic impact of racetrack action.
Riedel Supports Comms and Audio for Production of Red Bull's Soapbox Derby in Montreal
When Red Bull's outrageous version of a soapbox derby — La Course Red Bull Boîte à Savon 2015 — hit the streets of Montreal, a uniquely compact Rec4Box OB Factory van equipped with Riedel Communications gear provided master control capabilities supporting live production and streaming of the event. As a wild array of human-powered gravity racers made their way down the slopes of Square Victoria, Riedel's fiber-based RockNet real-time audio network and Artist digital matrix intercom system gave the event producers, Ocean Watch Productions and Red Bull Media House, an efficient, flexible solution for audio transport and communications.
SHOW EVENTS
Nearly 600 Robe Fixtures for Wesley Safadão DVD Shoot
Lighting designer and director of photography (DOP) Carlos Nogueira specified almost 600 Robe moving lights for a recent DVD shoot by leading Forro singer / songwriter Wesley Safadão, staged at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasilia, Brazil. The concert was attended by 50,000 fans who were all a part of the live experience as well as an essential element of the 24 camera – including a drone - DVD shoot, directed by Fernando Trevivan Catatau from UnicFilm. Carlos has worked several times before in the stadium. The director had some specific thoughts at the outset about where he wanted the LED screens to be positioned, and as soon as the venue was confirmed, Carlos immediately had ideas about how he could use the stadium as a key element in the scenography. These various visual inspirations were all combined into a truly epic production!
Clay Paky delivers ‘beautifully haunting’ looks on Mumford & Sons
Folk rockers Mumford & Sons are currently traversing the globe in support of their latest number one album, with lighting designer Ed Warren employing the bold bright wash and LED effects of 16 Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20 fixtures to deliver “some of the most impressive moments of the set.” The ‘Wilder Mind’ tour has seen the British four-piece play sold-out dates across the USA, Canada and Europe. Warren specified the B-EYEs from Neg Earth to complement the rockier sound of the band’s new material. “For this tour, my concept was about updating the usual Mumford aesthetic whilst still retaining their signature vibe,” explains Warren. “The graphic effects and brilliant colours from the B-EYEs complement the more traditional looks from a large wall of Par Cans.”
Merging Provides Upgrade for BBC Studios and Postproduction
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ was first aired in 2004 from BBC Television Centre and Merging’s Pyramix was used for those early productions and on the successive series. The current series is transmitted from the George Lucas studio used by BBC Studios and Post Production. The demands of complex entertainment shows suggested that merely updating the Mykerinos based Pyramix was not going to be sufficient. It made sense to replace it completely with a new Pyramix MassCore 256 Music Pack with new hardware, including a Horus Networked Audio Interface. With the need to post-produce some of the shows, a VCube Essentials pack was also part of the package.
PRODUCTS
_wige SOLUTIONS drives the future with Kahuna
_wige SOLUTIONS, a subsidiary of leading sports communication company _wige MEDIA, has been providing event technology services to German and international customers for over 30 years. Headquartered in Meuspath, just a stone’s throw from the famous Nurburgring motor racing circuit, _wige SOLUTIONS added a brand new mobile unit to its fleet in spring 2015 to further expand its outside broadcast capabilities and deliver the 3G and 4K production that is increasingly becoming a requirement at high quality events and car launches; the bigger the event, the more demanding the switching requirements. To meet this need, _wige SOLUTIONS chose a 4K-ready Snell Kahuna 9600 production switcher. The Kahuna 9600 is in fact the sixth Kahuna switcher that _wige SOLUTIONS has purchased from Snell for its wide range of event productions.
Megahertz Enjoys Successful Year in Links Truck Build
Megahertz Ltd, the trusted partner for systems integration with years of experience in delivering cost effective, imaginative designs and solutions for fixed and mobile applications, today announced that it is celebrating a successful 12 months in truck build with over 45 links vehicles on order from leading broadcasters in the UK and Ireland. Megahertz has been overseeing the design and production of all 45 vehicles, some of which are kitted out for UHD, at its facility in Ely since January 2015. Included in these orders are 37 vehicles for the BBC made up of a mixture of regional TV newsgathering VSAT trucks as well as SNG trucks that will handle network news coverage from across the 15 regional channels in the UK.
AKG Enables Professionals to Take Control of Their Sound with K182 Monitor Headphones
Building on more than 65 years of world-class sound quality to expand its professional headphone lineup, AKG by HARMAN today introduced the K182 professional monitor headphones. The foldable, closed-back K182 headphones provide unmatched sonic clarity, comfort and portability for musicians and engineers—all at an affordable price point. The K182 delivers on world-class sound quality in a big way, as its drivers ensure high output while the 10 Hz – 28 kHz frequency range provides a truly balanced mix. The K182’s high-sensitivity 50mm transducers ensure professional-quality sound even with mobile devices. In addition, the closed-back, over-ear design provides great performance for every instrumentalist, and comfort during long sessions.
4K / 8K ARISING
Successful production of first ever Madrid-Barça game in 4K
For the very first time in a Madrid-Barça game, MEDIAPRO carried out live 4K production with operators from Germany, Switzerland and Hong Kong receiving the match signal in Ultra High Definition with excellent results. For the coverage, the group used a 12- 4K camera OB van to produce the match with the cutting-edge technology. The biggest match in the Spanish league could also be seen in HD around the world. ESPN, DIRECTV, FOX Brasil, beIN SPORTS MENA, PPTV, beIN SPORTS USA, beIN SPORTS France and VIASAT requested signal customisation services from within the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with link-ups both before and after the match.
NASA and Harmonic Explore the Boundaries of UHD at ISS Resupply Launch
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), a worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, announced that they will document the launch of the Orbital 4 mission, carrying supplies to the International Space Station, at a new level with leading 4K and UHD capabilities. As an industry first, yesterday, Dec. 6, the teams shoot the launch for release using an array of six 4K+ cameras, shooting at high frame rate (HFR) and in high dynamic range (HDR). The footage will then be rapidly post-produced into a program on the entire process of the launch, to be aired on NASA TV UHD tomorrow. HDR reference UHD video clips of the launch will also be published at the beginning of next year.